Page 104 of Power Play

Four to three, and the game finally ends.

“Yeah, baby!”

Another little win on our road to the playoffs. No way in hell are we missing out this season.

The Stanley Cup will be ours…I can fucking feel it.

I sitdown beside Drake and glance at him. He’s reading some book with a serious expression on his face. The noises of the airport don’t bother him. I fiddle with my phone, tapping my foot on the ground. My gaze roams over the place, noticing Roman and Colton sitting nearby with coffee cups in their hands. Maybe I should go sit with them before our flight?

“Spill.”

“Huh?” I turn my head, only now realizing that Drake has closed his book. His chocolate brown eyes, the same color as his sister’s, are on me.

“You clearly have something to say to me, so spill.”

I smile. “No, no, no, I just sat here?—”

“Clay, cut the bullshit, okay? Just be honest.”

“Drake—”

“Be honest.” He eyes me with his lips pursed. His features are strikingly dark.

“You’re like David Beckham from that viral video,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood. But it’s not working. It actually has the opposite effect.

Shaking his head, Drake sighs. Then he picks up his book and opens it again. He looks so disappointed that my hands instantly become clammy. He knows, doesn’t he?

“Layla and I are together,” I say on an exhale. His lack of reaction to my confession reaffirms my thoughts. He knows. “Though ‘together’ feels like a really strong word right now. With like eight away games back-to-back, I barely see her. Hell, last month I spent more time around you than her.”

“Is that supposed to make me sympathetic? To help me forget all the lies I’ve been told?” He peers at me, and a heavy grip seizes my heart. I didn’t want to hurt my friend in the pursuit of my happy ending.

“Drake, for what it’s worth, I never wanted to lie to you. Just, the circumstances…” I trail off, knowing how terrible it all sounds. Plus, I don’t like the idea of putting the blame on Layla. “Screw this shit,” I mutter under my breath. Then I turn to my left to get a better look at him.

“I love Layla. I never stopped loving her, even after our breakup. She’s always been it for me, and now she and Princess are my whole world.”

Drake turns to face me too; his attention is completely on me.

“I cherish your friendship, and I’m sorry for disappointing you. But I’m not sorry for doing anything I could to get my girl back. For that…I will never apologize.”

“What, you’d kill someone for my sister?” he goads me, a smile peeking at the corners of his mouth.

I reply without any hesitation.“For Layla? I would.”

Drake’s nostrils flare, and he starts coughing. “You’re insane.”

“Maybe a little bit,” I admit, bursting into laughter. “We’re good?”

“For now. I still have a lot of questions…but they can wait till my dear sister is back from Michigan. Angie and I will expect you two to come to dinner. Christmas came just at the right time, don’t you think?”

“I’d say it came at the worst time ever. I can’t even spend it with Layla and Maya.”

“Fly over to them.” He shrugs. “I don’t think our parents would be against it.”

I swallow the bile clogging my throat.

“You can also visit your family while you’re in Michigan, no?”

I blink and blink, opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water. “I didn’t think about it…I thought you were flying home too.”

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